Simple Ways to Use Up Fruit and Vegetables

Fruit is a very healthy food that everyone should eat more of. However, children are known for their finicky tastes and what they ate all last week they may refuse the next week. This can leave you with fruit that is in danger of becoming overripe. Rather than waste it, here are some easy ways to use it up.

Some fruit such as apples and stone fruit can be stewed and frozen. It will then be ready to make pies with, whenever you have time or feel like it.

If you intend to keep frozen fruit juice or mash, you need to add sugar as a preservative.

Tomatoes sometimes get ripe quickly. They can be grilled on toast, added to soups or stews – or many other dishes. You can make them into tomato relish or even tomato jam.

Bananas can be used up by cooking them into banana bread or muffins. They can also be baked and used as dessert.

Juicing fruit and vegetables is a good way to use them up quickly, so long as you like the taste of the drink.

If your vegetables are starting to go limp, make up a soup or stew with them. You can usually put more in than the recipe says.

Fruit can be diced and made into a fruit salad for dessert. If you only have one or two pieces, they can be added to tinned fruit salad for extra taste.

Apples can be baked whole.

Whole Baked Apples

Core the apples and fill the hole with margarine, then brown sugar topped with a little more margarine. Cut through the skin around the middle of the apple to let the steam out as it cooks. Place them in a baking dish with some water in the bottom. The water should turn into a syrup that can be spooned over the top. Add some sultanas to the hole for a variation. Serve with custard, cream or ice-cream.

Method: Peel tomatoes by dunking them in boiling water. The skin should then slip off easily. Chop them into quarters, peel and dice onions. Place all ingredients into large pan or boiler and cover with brown vinegar. Stir. Bring to boil and simmer for about 1 ½ hours. Thicken with half a cup of cornflour or plain flour mixed with water. Place into sterilised jars. Screw lids on immediately to ensure it seals. Store in a cool, dark place. Note: Some people don’t bother skinning them.